


Normal

by Pastel_Teacups



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Unrequited Love, aw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 23:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1706249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastel_Teacups/pseuds/Pastel_Teacups
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky learns that bisexuality is normal. Steve quietly yearns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Normal

“So that’s . . . normal now?” 

It was Bucky’s question, another small inquiry about a character on the television that had seemingly had a boyfriend _and_ a girlfriend at one point. 

Steve, Sam, and Natasha looked toward him, nodding. “Mostly, yeah. The new normal.” The redhead filled in, tucking her feet under her. 

“Either take your shoes off or get your feet off my couch,” Sam interrupted, as he was very passionate about his green sofa. “And yeah. Tasha’s bisexual, right? Yeah. And Tony, and I’m not even gonna _ask_ about Thor-” 

“His brother did haze sex with a horse.” Natasha considered, kicking off her shoes and retucking her feet against the green fabric. 

Sam hummed. “That’s more pansexual, I feel like.” 

“No, it’s just wrong.” Steve interjected, shaking his head. “But yeah. That sorta thing’s normal now.” 

Bucky still hadn’t learned how to display his emotions that well, so he only nodded with an easily expressionless face. “Interesting.” 

~

“Tony,” Steve said hurriedly, finding the billionaire in his large kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Have you seen Bucky? We were supposed to-”

“Work out.” A voice interrupted, Bucky’s voice. Steve turned and there he was, patting the supersoldier on the back and moving to join Tony at the coffee pot. He kissed him on the cheek as he passed, and Steve’s heart fell. “I know. We overslept.” 

“We?” He managed weakly, looking between the two as his heart came to his feet. 

Tony sipped at his coffee, raising an eyebrow at the blonde. “Buck didn’t tell you?” He asked, leaning his head against the man’s metal shoulder. “We’re a thing now.” 

There was an aching in his chest, but Steve managed to smile and push the bad feelings away. “That’s good. I’m really happy for you, Buck. Both of you.” 

He turned and departed quickly, not wanting either man to see his saddened face. 

~

Two weeks had passed since Steve’d learned of Tony and Bucky’s relationship, and not much had changed. 

Bucky was happy, and was smiling more and more often. Tony was good for him. This was good. 

It didn’t, however, excuse his best friend’s strange behavior. 

“What’s wrong with you?” He finally asked during an early morning jog, slowing to speak to him. 

Steve stared straight ahead, his pace quickening a bit. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Come on, Steve. We’ve known each other forever. Something’s up. Now tell me. Please?” 

Steve hesitated, shrugging gently. “It’s nothing. I promise, Buck.” He turned from the jog to look at his friend, before looking back to the sidewalk. “How’s Tony?” 

He’d tried to keep his voice level, though he knew how forced it sounded. And if he noticed, so had Bucky. 

“That’s what it is.” He realized quietly, slowing to a walk. “You don’t like him. Why not?” 

“I don’t have anything against him. Really. It’s just . . . you could do better, Buck.” 

The assassin watched him for a moment, eyebrows knit in confusion. “Like who?” 

Steve really shouldn’t have. He should’ve made a joke about something and kept running. But running just wasn’t an option anymore. 

“Me?” 

There was a sickeningly long moment of silence, before Bucky spoke up. “What?” 

“I-I’m in love with you, Buck.” He said, staring down at his feet. They’d long since stopped walking. “I have been since we were teenagers.” 

Bucky watched him, just watched. It was a long moment, and Steve felt just as he did in school, when Bucky would stare and stare and worry while Steve looked down and insisted he didn’t need his help. 

Then, he spoke. 

“Steve,” his voice was soft, gentle, as if he was approaching the same nine-year old boy he’d protected all those years ago. “I, you’re great. Seriously. I’ve known you for. . . forever, really. And I love you. You’re great. But-it’s easy, with Tony. I love him, too. And I don’t want to leave him.” 

Rejection. It’d been a while, since Steve’s last rejection. All the way back to that double date. That didn’t matter. He only nodded softly and moved his eyes up for a moment to smile smally. “I get it, Buck. It’s okay.” 

He turned and continued his jog, leaving Bucky to stand there and stare at the place Steve’d been.

~

One year. It’d been one year since Tony and Bucky’d started dating, just a few weeks before Steve had confessed his love to his best friend of seventy years. 

The two had broken up on good terms months ago, and could still stay in the same room with each other without a single inch of awkwardness between them. 

With two lovable womanizers, they should’ve expected this much. 

It’d been two months since they’d split, and Bucky’d moved his boxes to his own floor of Stark Towers. And, Steve’d finally found his courage. 

The novelty of color TV hadn’t yet worn off, and the two of them often found themselves sitting on the couch for extended periods of time, marvelling at some special effect the production companies’d managed. 

That was where they were one late night, while some movie about short people and dragons, Bucky’s head lolling onto Steve’s shoulder, when the blonde finally spoke up. 

“Hey. Buck?”

James Buchanan Barnes, legendary assassin and _the_ Winter Soldier, yawned and hid his face in the crook of Steve’s neck. Like a puppy. “What is it?” 

“Did you want to, go out? For dinner? Maybe?” 

The man in question groans, though Steve can feel the smile against his neck. “Well, I guess if we’re both ninety, we might as well have some age-appropriate dates. What about feeding ducks bread next Saturday?” 

Steve laughed, wrapping an arm around the man’s shoulders. “I’d love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos + Constructive Criticism is always appreciated!


End file.
